Real Steel

Director: Shawn Levy

Its the near future.

Very near, in fact since the only major difference on offer is that human pugilists have been replaced by 8-foot steel robots that slug the sparks out of each other in the ring. Which leaves washed up former boxer Jackman forced to eke out a precarious living promoting bouts between his clanking robot in low end venues. So far, so depressing for Jackman. But things become even more complicated when his 11-year-old son Goyo, whom he abandoned at birth, unexpectedly re-enters his life. Together they set out to rebuild a scrap-heap robot and head for the big time

Nobody, least of all, I imagine, screenwriter John Gatins, would claim massive innovation for the two basic themes. The familiar first theme - estranged father-and-son Jackman and Goyo bond emotionally and Jackman recovers his self-esteem - comes over effectively, thanks to Jackman taking his role seriously and a telling performance from Goyo. The equally familiar second storyline has, aptly, been described by famed American chat show host Jay Leno as Rocky with robots. Reportedly the climactic slugfest between the underdogs revamped wrecked robot and a terrifying giant two-headed automation is inspired by the ultimate fistfight in Rocky V. That seems to work.

That said, the screenplay is based on the 1956 short story by Richard (The Incredible Shrinking Man, I am Legend) Matheson that ended up as the episode Steel in TVs The Twilight Zone. And Shawn Levy, aided by effective special effects that created the robots and allow them to demonstrate their metal mettle in noisy spark-creating style, creates a rousing blend of science fiction and action and human drama that doesnt deliver anything particularly new but does it entertainingly enough, with Jackman and Goyo holding their own well as mere flesh-and-blood characters.